Coral Sea Water World - Sharm el Sheikh

We were lucky enough to have a family holiday at the Coral Sea Water World, Sharm el Sheikh - Egypt. We
wanted a bit of sunshine, and some waterpark action for the children, so at a temperature of
between 26°C- 32°C Sharm el Sheikh (or, as everybody who's ever been seems to call it, just "Sharm") fitted
the bill quite nicely.

The beach at Sharm el Sheikh, outside Coral Sea Water World

Sun, sea and swimming pools

There were a few criteria we needed to check for our holiday:

Somewhere away from the closing stages of Britain's winter

A destination with swimming pools

Beaches, with a little water-sport action nearby

Some waterslide enjoyment too

Number 1 (sunshine) was checked by going to Sharm. Numbers 2, 3 and 4 were all
checked by booking a week at Coral Sea Water World.

The large, lagoon style, swimming pool at Coral Sea Water World in Sharm

The resort of Coral Sea Water World is located over large grounds with its own private beach onto the Red Sea. The pretty manicured gardens contain
two swimming pools. The pools are large lagoon style affairs, which meander around the paved area containing plenty of sun loungers and straw
hatted parasols. Each swimming pool also has a swim-up bar so you can order a Pepsi/lemonade/beer/or, the children's favourite, some kind
of fruit juice cocktail called a "Florida".

The layout of Coral Sea Water World

The whole resort is laid out in the style of an inverted wriggly V. The main hotel with its restaurants, bar, reception and shops are at
the point of the V, with an assortment of rooms positioned along the sides of that V. The swimming pools and grounds are set out within the
V itself. The beach and Red Sea run parallel to the upper most points.

The layout of Coral Sea Water World

Located on the edge of Coral Sea Water World, the waterpark is located out of the main grounds, which means you're not bothered by screaming children -
but it's only a 2 minute walk from the main pools. This is perfect because you can easily swap between sitting by a quiet
pool, to hurtling down a waterslide. The waterpark has plenty of slides too, as well as a lazy river.

Coral Sea Water World has a choice of different slides - there are those which are ridden by sitting on a mat, and those (as shown in the video above) which are ridden on
an inflatable rubber ring. If all that seems a bit too much, how about meandering around the fringes in that lazy river.

Take a trip round the lazy river at Coral Sea Water World

The rooms

The rooms are positioned along the legs the "V" - hopefully the image of above of the layout of Coral Sea Water World will give you a better idea. All the buildings are
low-rise - no more than three storeys high. We went for a room upgrade, and had a ground floor room close to the pools, and with a Jacuzzi outside! The room
was huge, with one double bed - not sure what size you'd call the double, but it's much bigger than a king-size. With two single beds for the children. The
room was also large enough to house a small army.

Our room at Coral Sea Water World had its own outdoor Jacuzzi

Restaurants and bars

Coral Sea Water World is an all-inclusive holiday resort, therefore all your food, drink, ice-cream and popcorn are included in the price of your holiday. The
main restaurant is where you'll head for breakfast, lunch and dinner; with all food being served as a buffet. There are a couple of a la carte
restaurants too - although the a la carte restaurants don't come with the all-inclusive package; you are given vouchers for one meal during your holiday.

Phew... what a scorcher

We went to Coral Sea Water World during Easter (at the beginning of April) and the temperature was about 30°C each day. Things heat up even more during the summer months -
so make sure you bring the world's supply of factor 30 with you.

Coral Sea does indeed make a grand location for a holiday - with things for every member of the family. Want to lie on a sun lounger all week? Swim?
Go to the water park? Jog along the promenade? it's all available at Coral Sea Water World!

If the thought of a villa holiday sounds good - but you've got children in tow, have a look at villa resorts which combine the advantages of having your own villa with the advantages of a resort's facilities.

Located next to the beach and surrounded by the Lagoa dos Salgados Lagoon and nature reserve, Vidamar Algarve Resort is a villa resort with holiday villas sleeping between 4 and 8 people. All villas at Vidamar Algarve Resort have their own pool.

Find a selection of holiday cottage in Beccles, Suffolk. The cottages of Riverside House, Butterfield House, Northgate Bakery, Honeysuckle Cottage and Burnt Hill House all have a video showing their location in Beccles.

Try a villa holiday in Europe and the Mediterranean during March, April and May. James Villas Spring Holidays is the place to look - and if you get in early enough you could get a bargain in the James Villa Holidays Half Price Sale.

A fabulous day out, the Falkirk Wheel links the Union Canal with the Forth and Clyde Canal. You have a variety of attractions at the Falkirk Wheel, including an Archimedes Screw, hire a cycle, paddle boats, or just a nice walk.

See the sights from the top of the Nevis Range in Scotland. Take a gondola up the mountain, and get some views from the Sgurr Finnisg-aig view point. You can always cycle down too - or take the cable car back down again.